References to Lit in Walk Two Moons

By: Tia Stout

References to Lit in Walk Two Moons

By: Tia Stout

Summary of Novel

Sharon Creech's novel WalkTwo Moons is about a thirteen-year-old girl named Sal. Sal and her grandparents are on a road trip across the country to visit Sal's mom in Lewiston, Idaho. During the road trip Sal tells a story about her friend, Pheobe, and the strange things that happened to her.

Thesis Statement

Throughout the novel Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech uses references to literature to let the reader gain a better understanding of Sal's point of view.

The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls

One of the references to literature Sharon Creech makes in her novel Walk Two Moons is the poem "The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Creech writes about this poem when Sal's teacher, Mr. Birkway, reads it to the class. The poem is about a traveler who is hurrying into town. The sea calls to the traveler. "The little waves, with their soft, white hands / efface the footprints in the sands". (Longfellow). Sal interprets this as though the sea is killing the traveler."It isn't normal to die. It isn't normal. It's terrible." Sal is sensitive to this because her mom is dead. Sal wishes her mom could come home, but just like in the poem, the sea will never return the traveler to the shore, and Sal's mom can't come back. Through this reference to literature, the reader gains an understanding of how Sal interprets things and her point of view.

Pandora's Box

Another one of the references to literature Sharon Creech makes in her novel Walk Two Moons is the greek myth "Pandora's Box". Pheobe, Sal's friend, is giving a report on the story of Pandora. The myth is about a beautiful woman Zeus created named Pandora. Each of the gods gave her a different gift. Two of those were curiosity and a box that she was forbidden to open. One day Pandora opened the box and all the evils of the world came out. Luckily there was one good thing in the box, hope. Sal wonders why someone would put one good thing in a box of horrible things. "It was fortunate it was there, though. If not, people would have the birds of sadness nesting in their hair all the time". (Creech 175). Sal also wonders if there could have been another box that had all good things, but one bad thing. "Maybe it was worry". (Creech 175). Sal's family had seemed fine until Sal's baby sister died. Her family represents the good box with worry in it. But Pheobe's family had not seemed fine, even before Mrs. Winterbottom left. Pheobe's family represents the box that Pandora opened with all the bad things and one good thing. There were so many bad things, but Pheobe's family still had hope that Mrs. Winterbottom could come home. Because of this reference to literature, the reader gains a better understanding of Sal's point of view.